Granada

Alhambra with Sierra Nevada mountains in the back left.

Anybody got a horse and a spear?

As a fan of Cervantes' classic novel Don Quixote, I couldn't resist a slight detour to Consuegra pointed out by our Steves book. Could you have passed up a chance to tilt at a windmill in La Mancha? The tourist office is happy to provide information on the ancient Roman dam, 12th century castle and even the coat of arms of the surname of Cervantes and documentation of the family name in Consuegra since the 16th century.  So what if these windmills were a bit too recent by a few hundred years? Without a horse, shield or any other battle gear, my approximation is less than inspiring . . .

Though Granada can be somewhat overrun by tourists, it still retains the feeling that there is a unique and vibrant local culture. This was the last Moorish stronghold in Spain and many of the buildings retain that heritage. Though we got to tour the gardens and fort of Alhambra, we couldn't get tickets to see the main attraction - the Palacios Nazaries. If you go, make sure to book tickets months in advance!

Our Granada photos here

We ranged widely and visited the Royal Chapel with the tombs of Queen Isabel and King Ferndinand, San Nicolas viewpoint and the Great Mosque of Granada. We took pictures where we could but we were often restricted. Climbing up the steep staircases and tiny twisting lanes that make up the Albayzin was somewhat challenging but we were rewarded with great views and wonderful food. In quite a few areas the small streets required us to we squeeze tight to the wall so a car could pass.  

Breathtaking view of Alhambra after sunset.

After a delicious meal on the balcony on our last night there, and the first time it was just barely warm enough, Dermot found the most authentic sounding of the multiple Irish Pubs in the area. The owner of Paddy's Pub was from the Cork and Kerry border and his father was a “Clare Man” from Liscannor (population 113) his cousins had played in the Tulla Ceilidh Band. Of course, Dermot is from Tulla, County Clare. Small world. 

Paddy opened early for us when we arrived at 10:00 (closing time is 4 A.M.) and there was only one other customer - from County Kerry, Ireland. It was fun to see them bond over their shared beginnings and eventual wanderings. They both had interesting stories of how they came to be ex-pats living in Spain and insights into what it was like to live in Granada. Paddy said it was "chill" and the other gentleman had just fallen in love with the Alhambra. Dermot tried to order his usual Kilkenny beer but the lines were being cleaned so he risked a Guinness and said it was "okay."

For those interested in camping, we enjoyed the proximity of Camping Sierra Nevada to the bus stop that quickly delivered us to the heart of the old town but weren't as happy with the showers.

Toledo

Once the center of power in Spain, today’s Toledo is a fairly small but picturesque city. We toured the huge, impressive Catedral Toledo with an audio guide and enjoyed it immensely!  Here’s a link for the history but you’ll see lots of pictures in our album. Now we know where the term "Holy Toledo" comes from.

Wikipedia's excellent info on Catedral Toledo

We were also amazed at the art in the sacristy! There were works by El Greco, Titian, Carravaggio and Bellini just to name a few. We topped off the evening by going to a tapas bar and enjoyed several local specialties: a venison sandwich with mushrooms and onion, a pork stew and for dessert we had a mazapan cookie with a squash filling and pine nuts.   

Toledo Photo Album Here

The following day we followed the walking tour in our book. We started in the Plaza de Zocodover then onto the main commercial street but it seemed to be delivery day in the town.

The crowds trying to follow their guides and groups of school children on outings had to halt forward progress and squeeze along the tiny sidewalks and wait for each to go by.  We dodged over to a side street and found no traffic problems. We snapped pictures along the way of the distinctive Mudejar architecture (a hybrid Moorish/Gothic style of the Muslim craftspeople). One of my favorite things was the balconies that overhang the streets. For lunch we had more tapas - pork stew and potatoes and a ratatouille topped with a fried egg. Bread was used to soak up all the delicious juices. After lunch we went into Santo Tome to see the masterpiece by El Greco - incredible. No photos allowed though so here’s a link that shows it:

Wikipedia and the El Greco masterpiece

We got to see a rare synagogue in Spain. Transito Synagogue had a nice museum and beautifully carved walls.  

Next Stop: Granada.

Ola Madrid!

In Retiro Park - once the private domain of royalty

The closest of the campgrounds was full thru Saturday night so we camped at Camping Bungalow Arco Iris for two nights and we weren't impressed. I can overlook alot but hot showers are a must! We followed Rick Steves guided walk through Madrid’s historic core - the pictures in the photo album provide the highlights and info.

A bar and a bullfighting museum in one - only in Spain!

We were so happy to find that Google Maps was able to report on Madrid’s bus and Metro routes to help us navigate! Just one small hitch - it wasn't updated on closures so many recommended routes weren't correct.

On Saturday, Dermot was anxious to see the Munster v. Saracens rugby game, but we heard the drums of a procession and, at his insistence, stopped to see it.

Madrid 1 photos here

Then we captured the last few (disappointing) minutes of the game in one of two side-by-side Irish pubs. It was time to try tapas bar hopping and we popped our heads in several and sampled the food in a few before heading back to camp through the somewhat sketchy Lavapies district. We later read it had been quite a shady place and was being revitalized. That’s what you get when you ask Google Maps to find the quickest way! We had also parked in a somewhat questionable area on the outskirts of town and wanted to walk back while there was still some daylight left.

Crystal Palace at Retiro Park

Easter Sunday was spent catching up with family in the closer Camping Osuna. We spent the next few days visiting all the top sights and museums in Madrid except the Royal Palace. Seems the royal family was there but the website didn’t indicate it would be closed so we couldn’t plan around it. 

The Centro de Arte de Reina Sofia was a very good museum with the famous "Guernica"by Picasso. I highly recommend it. The Prado Museum was huge and had many major works by major artists. Photos aren’t allowed inside but its a much more enjoyable museum experience when people aren’t trying to get selfies with the art. Also highly recommended.

Dermot with art at Reina Sofia

Madrid 2 Photos Here

The photos are spilt into two albums for technical reasons (I messed up). So the second set is in the link above.

Hello Spain!

Alcazar in Segovia

We boarded a ferry to travel from Plymouth, England all the way to Santander, Spain. We’d read this crossing could be rough but since we had seen such poor weather forecasting we decided we’d just have to cross our fingers and hope for calm in the Bay of Biscay. It was pretty rocky but we tried to distract ourselves by planning our next few days armed with our Rick Steves Spain book on Kindle. Despite some rocking and rolling we managed to hold it all together and even slept a good part of the night. Ferry food is okay but next time we’ll try to remember to bring water with us as there are no water fountains and each bottle was 2 pounds.

We arrived in Santander, hit the road and arrived in Salamanca in the early evening.  After checking in to a fairly small campground called “Camping Ruta de la Plata,” we went in search of food very late (for us) but right on time for Spain. Our Garmin didn’t have the latest road closures so we weren’t successful and we ate sandwiches in the camper that night. 

Salamanca

The next day we took the bus in to Salamanca and learned that Google Maps did not provide public transit information here. That’s worrying as we’ve come to rely on it a great deal! Salamanca has what has been described as the best plaza in Spain. It’s a large, open space that’s ringed with a beautiful building with restaurants and shops and people of every age just enjoying themselves. The atmosphere is wonderful and we had dinner there after a walk through the city with so much history.  Many of the buildings have absolutely beautifully carved stone facades.  The history of this area is very interesting and you can see Moorish influences in the architecture. There’s also a first century Roman bridge that is now a pedestrian walk. 

Unesco's take and photos

Avila

Avila

Next we drove towards El Escorial with a stop in Avila - which is famed as the birthplace of St. Teresa and for the beautiful wall that rings the city. Built from around 1,100 on even more ancient remains it is the oldest, and best preserved wall in Spain.  The audioguide explained the history. It was fun to climb up into each turret but also a bit tiring!

Click here for our photos

El Escorial 

Inside El Escorial

We arrived late in the day and walked all over the sprawling “Camping Resort El Escorial” trying to find a place to do laundry with a dryer (hard to come by in Europe generally) as the wind blew in the rain. There were extensive recreational facilities and tons of kids and teenagers. We had dinner here and went exploring the next morning. 

El Escorial is notable for the massive “Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial.” We took a guided tour in English but photos are not allowed inside and it's very hard to find a website that gives you a feel for it - here's the best I found:

Wikipedia Link

Besides some beautiful art, the library was my favorite with its notable works and colorful ceiling that reminded me of the Sistine Chapel. I became so interested in why Spain was ruled by the Habsburgs and Bourbons that I did a lot more reading on it that night. The problems that came with the in-breeding of the royals made for some fascinating reading too.  

More on inbreeding here.

Segovia 

Panorama of Aqueduct (its not really bowed)

We drove to Segovia and arrived at Camping Acueducto on Thursday. We headed into town that night but again, the Garmin didn’t have the latest road closures and there were even more due to the festivities that night. Everyone seemed to be heading in towards the aqueduct. Driving down tight roads in a camper van is challenging enough without extra road closures for we headed back to camp and ate some local specialties at a restaurant within walking distance. The next morning was Good Friday and we planned to see the main sights: the aqueduct, cathedral and the Alcazar.  Stopping for some lunch, we started hearing drums and music and then a saw procession. This is not just any procession so I’ll put in a link below.  We followed the procession into the cathedral and then witnessed as more and more arrived.   Holy week in Segovia

Good Friday Procession to the Catedral

Don't get freaked out by the hoods - this has nothing to do with the KKK. 

General notes:

We landed in Spain on the Monday before Easter this meant extra festivities and also many business closures.

Our stomachs aren't in sync with Spanish meal times.  We're far too early!

Iberian ham is everywhere and it's tasty.  It would be very difficult to be a vegetarian in Spain.

If you visit Spain, make sure to bring toilet paper with you as it seems to be in very short supply. When I told a staff member at a nice restaurant that the ladies room was out, he handed me some paper napkins and shrugged. 

Misadventures by Plane, Train, Campervan and Ferry

Waiting

Warning: If you’re reading this hoping for the usual random smattering of thoughts, experiences and photos from our travels to lovely locations you definitely want to check out another blog, instagram, or facebook "Bring Me." However, if you’d like to hear about some of the less rosy sides of traveling - read on. 

Our Aeroflot flight left Tokyo for London with a planned three hour layover in Moscow. After a long and very warm flight, we were grateful to reach Moscow Airport and stretch our legs but we had quite a few surprises in store for us. Used to just going from one terminal to another without having to pass thru security again? Nope, not here. We were directed to stand in a very long line to have a passport security check. The line grew preposterously long as we waited for the one passport checker. At first there was some semblance of order but that fell apart with people just arriving and slipping into line ahead and all around us. Polite people made little headway and thereafter became less so. We were directed into another line and eventually had two separate passport checks and passed through a metal detector and bag security check. Once through, we struggled to interpret signs but eventually found our terminal and some desperately needed water. As we waited, it became more and more crowded and there was a delay. The airport staff seemed to be either missing, completely overrun or unhelpful. One employee’s expression was “I stopped caring in 1995.” 

Are you used to walking down a covered passageway to your flight? Not here. Here you are sent outside to a very large conveyance with open doors so that you can stand and breathe in carbon-monoxide exhaust and frosty air while you wait for everyone on your plane to be checked in and board. Then you will be driven a great distance with the vehicle making bizarre noises past torn-up runways, rusting planes, and buildings that look like they were used for target practice in WW2 and you begin to think you are not heading for a plane at all. . . Eventually we did board a plane. It was from the 1990’s - no entertainment screens, phones, lights, or vents. The safety leaflet didn’t show you how to put on a life-vest, just various swimming strokes. My head ached for hours from the carbon-monoxide fumes. Japan seemed light years away.

In case of ditching, do not hold onto aircraft.

When we arrived in London on Wednesday, we had been traveling for over 28 hours and we were grateful for a relatively orderly customs routine and a comfy bed at the airport hotel. Our plan for the next few days was to take the train to Bristol, pick up our campervan, take care of necessities and hop on a ferry to sunny Spain. The first part went well but when we picked up the campervan, the “check engine” light was on. We’d had this problem at the end of our last trip but it had recently been in at the Fiat Service Centre for several days of testing and was pronounced “fixed.” 

Several misadventures ensued:

• We had no local phone or internet/wi-fi service until we could re-establish it with our Vodafone provider. This required multiple calls across several days and hamstrung our efforts in many ways. 
• The maps on our Garmin 770 that I had been updating regularly suddenly became corrupted and were useless. This caused problems with navigation since our phones also weren't working and required hours of time in coffee shops and libraries to remedy.
• We had no LPG and couldn’t find a place to fill up that day (see navigation/communication above). It was a very cold first night in the camper without heat. Also, no hot coffee the next morning. Horrors!
• The Fiat Service Centre couldn’t get us in until Monday. 

Fields in bloom.

Now glance up at the picture at the top of the post. This is the waiting room of the aforementioned Fiat Service Centre and we were there alot. Monday they thought they found the new problem but they needed parts. We returned the next day and after much waiting it was fixed (again)! Optimistic, we booked a ferry and went on a long test drive to seal it. Then that blasted check engine light reappeared and we lost acceleration again. There was a lot of cursing; cancellation of said ferry; then more waiting and another round of all of the above.

Sign in Welch

England can be a fine place to be, but not so great when you want to be elsewhere. We went to Wales on test drives just to be in another country.  

Click here for the photo album of misadventures.

11th Century Castle in Wales

I’ve sprinkled a few pictures around to lighten things up a bit but maybe its good to write about the troubles sometimes so we don’t give you unrealistic expectations about #vanlife. 

In all we spent 11 days in England and our ferry is scheduled to leave for Spain tomorrow. I sincerely hope to return to the previous format of hackneyed observations and unprofessional but sincere, un-retouched pictures of interesting places. If you read this far you must be a true friend. Thank you for joining us on this misadventure.

A New Era for Japan

When we returned to Tokyo, Erica again volunteered to be our guide. Our first stop was to Chidori-ga-fuchi Greenway.

The cherry blossoms were at the height of their blooming period now and the Sakura Festival was in full swing. Cherry blossoms ranging from white to light pink formed a gorgeous canopy over a walkway crowded with adoring fans. The adjacent waterway was teeming with boats paddled by those willing to wait for hours for a chance to experience a romantic ride. Then we walked to the Yasukuni-Jinja Shrine which commemorates those who died to protect their country. It’s a controversial shrine though so here’s more of the history:

Yasukuni

There were stalls set up selling many interesting looking foods.  After taking a look around, we headed for the Imperial Palace but it was closed so we just took pictures across the moat and of the famous bridge on the outskirts of the grounds.

Next we grabbed some lunch and toured the Roppongi district - a vibrant area with businesses, interesting architecture and wildly expensive fruit. This is a pair of mangoes that cost over $300 and a single musk melon would set you back $175.

Of course, there was also very high end shopping as well but I didn’t even bother to look at the prices.

We learned that adzuki beans can be made into many forms and packaged beautifully. It can be flavored in many ways but is pretty chewy. We weren’t inspired to buy. 

The photo album is available in the link below.  If you want to see explanations for the photos, you have to click on a picture then click on the “I” inside a circle for more information and page through them one at a time.  

Click here for more photos

Rie, Erica and Leo were so very patient with our endless questions about all things Japanese. Our conversations ranged from everyday life to history and politics. Since many of the sites were religious in nature we discussed Buddhist and Shinto religious beliefs and practices. Leo was raised in the Catholic faith and shared with us that there were many Christian martyrs in Japan because Christianity was outlawed here during the Shogunate.  

Leo and Dermot's Haka in front of the Rugby Stadium

We were so lucky to visit Japan during two very important events - cherry blossom season and the announcement of a new Era. The emperor of Japan was abdicating and his son was ascending to the position of emperor. Any time this happens in Japan, it is considered a new era and it’s big news. Everyone was waiting to find out what the new era would be named. The announcement happened when we were traveling on a train. I used Google Translate to ask the lady sitting next to us if the announcement had been made and she said she was watching the broadcast live and very kindly tilted her phone to let us watch as well. We saw the solemn ceremony in which the kanji are written on a framed paper which is held up for all to see. This sets off a flurry of interpretation, activity and we’re told even the stock market reacts. 

As we neared the end of our trip we all went out to dinner at at a place of our hosts’ choosing. Imagine our surprise when they picked “Sizzler!” All over Japan restaurants have plastic models of the dishes outside and this was no exception. They were shocked to hear Sizzler was mostly out of business in the states. “But the salad bar is so good!”

We shared one last dinner of sushi and toasted our amazingly thoughtful hosts. It had been so very wonderful to spend time with Rie and her family and we certainly hope to get together with them again soon!